Summer At Green Valley Vineyard by Lucy Coleman

 

Summer at Green Valley Vineyard by Lucy Coleman.

Published in ebook 20th March 2023, and paperback 25th May 2023, by Embla Books.

From the cover of the book:

A beautiful vineyard. A new beginning. A summer that will change their lives forever...

Linzi arrived at Green Valley Vineyard nine years ago, in need of a fresh start. In the lush emerald countryside and ripening grapes, she finally has a place to call home.

But Linzi's world is rocked when the owner announces he is retiring, and his grandson is taking over.

When Elliot Montgomery first sets foot at Green Valley, Linzi's worst fears are realised. He's stepped straight out of the boardroom in shiny shoes and a tailored suit. How will a numbers man like him ever understand the magic of what they do here?

Elliot has his own demons, carrying the grief of his father's death. Despite their differences, he has come to the vineyard for a new beginning, much like Linzi once did.

As the summer unfolds, Elliot and Linzi find themselves in an uneasy alliance while old secrets threaten to be revealed.

Could more be about to bloom here among the twisting vines than they ever thought possible?

An absolutely charming summer read that is perfect to escape with. Fans of Karen Swan, Phillipa Ashley and Sarah Morgan will be absolutely enchanted by this tale full of love, friendship and the beauty of winemaking.

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Linzi came to Green Valley Vineyard nine years ago, at a time when she needed a new start. As she has nurtured the vines here, and set Green Valley on the map for the wines it produces, her own heartbreak has lessened too. This is now her home.

Green Valley has been through some turbulent times in the recent past, and the strain of it all has begun to tell on its owner, Thomas Montgomery. He has decided to step down and hand over the reins to his grandson Elliot, a man Linzi has never met. She feels unsettled by the sudden change, and she is not the only one.

When Elliot arrives, Linzi is unimpressed by his sharp suits and shiny shoes, and wonders how he can he ever begin to understand what it is about this place that makes it so special. But she gradually realises that he is all that stands between financial disaster for the vineyard and hotel complex, and finds herself unexpectedly on his side. As she gets to know what lies under the outer shell of hard businessman, she also learns that he is here for a new start. Perhaps they are not so different after all...

Summer at Green Valley Vineyard is an enchanting story of love, loss, friendship, family, and wine set in the Welsh Valleys. Told through the eyes of 'keeper of the vines' Linzi and 'new broom' Elliot, the story revolves around a vineyard and hotel complex having financial issues. Elliot, who has been completely hands-off in the past, is given the unenviable task of saving the business without revealing the scale of the problems, and this provides the perfect set up for a bevy of mishaps and misunderstandings to occur in the personal and professional lives of all concerned. Everything revolves around the developing relationship between Linzi and Elliot, which has the potential to blossom into true love amongst the grape vines - if only they can both find a way to set their ghosts to rest.

There is a quality to Coleman's writing that evokes the warm and welcoming feel of a much loved continuing drama in these pages. You get the impression that you are just dropping into the lives of people who have been going about their business for years before you arrive on the scene, and even though Coleman repeatedly refers to things that have happened in their personal lives before the story begins she does this in such a way that you almost feel like you know all about them already. This really should not work, but magically it does. There are one or two minor story lines in terms of Linzi's character that could be pruned, a bit like with her beloved vines, to make her side of the tale flow better, but everything eventually comes together with the well-judged eye of an author who knows exactly how to hit that golden sweet spot. 

This is the kind of slow burner romance that creeps up on you. Gentle and comforting, it wraps you up in a warm hug and is full of all the heart-warming feels you could want - with fascinating detail about the world of wine too.

Summer at Green Valley Vineyard by Lucy Coleman is available to buy in ebook and audio formats now, and in paperback from 25th May 2023.

Thank you to Embla Books for sending me an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Compulsive Readers Tours for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Lucy Coleman always knew that one day she would write, but first life took her on a wonderful journey of self-discovery for which she is very grateful.

Family life and two very diverse careers later she now spends most days glued to a keyboard, which she refers to as her personal quality time.

If she isn't online she's either playing with the kids, whose imaginations seem to know no bounds, or painting something. As a serial house mover together with her lovely husband, there is always a new challenge to keep her occupied!